Primary health care is essential medical care accessible to all individuals and families in the community through means acceptable to them, with their full participation and at an affordable cost for the community and the country. It is the core of the country's health system and an integral part of the community's overall socio-economic development.
The objective of primary health care is to improve the health status of the population, involving it through social participation, providing universal coverage through health promotion and prevention activities, through periodic home visits by the health agent. (in our case the schools), with continuous and systematic support from the programmed medical and dental consultation, and with all the benefits included in the Health Programs, coordinating intra and extra sectorially for the well-being of the community.
Primary Care is inclusive and must bring together aspects of health promotion, prevention, cure and rehabilitation of the disease in its activity. A Primary Care that is partially dedicated to these activities loses a large part of its contents and does not develop all its skills. Primary Care must act and intervene to prevent the disease from appearing or delaying its appearance through individual and collective health education and through other health promotion strategies, or through prevention actions.
Only action in Primary Care would be justified in isolated aspects that did not allow this integrative action (for example, the exclusive realization of promotion and prevention strategies), given the absolute lack of resources and the need to prioritize them, as may happen in the case of underdeveloped countries, where other actions are relegated to the availability of resources. Primary Care is also considered inclusive because it organizes and coordinates the resources and actions that each individual and the community needs at all times.
Primary care is permanent. Act continuously with the community and intermittently in their care with each individual, but always permanently in their responsibility and in offering care to that individual. Primary Care must provide and promote health care throughout the person's life, it is longitudinal care. This characteristic differentiates Primary Care from other levels of care where care for the individual is transversal, a cut, at a time or period of their life.
It is known and proven that a good prevention campaign against a disease or virus is vital to avoid its massive spread and, therefore, it is necessary that primary care is responsible for developing various campaigns to raise awareness in the general population. on the most effective ways to prevent a condition flare-up.
